Current Activities (January ― March 2024)
CONTENTS
- About Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
- Top Global Health Policy Think Tanks 2020
- Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
- Planetary Health
- Global Health
- Dementia
- Women’s Health
- Survey on Healthcare in Japan
- Healthcare DX
- Other Activities
- Health Policy Academy
- HGPI Seminar
- Public Comment
- HGPI Policy Column
- Lectures and Media Coverage
- Advocacy Activities to Encourage the Adoption of the Recommendations in Our Policy Proposals
- Providing Professional Expertise
About Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
Non-profit, Independent, and Global
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) is a Tokyo-based independent and non-profit health policy think tank, established in 2004.
Since establishment, HGPI has pursued its mission of “Achieving citizen-centered health policies by bringing broad stakeholders together in its capacity as an independent think-tank to generate policy options for the public.” One of the Institute’s guiding principles in activities for this mission is to hold fast to its independence without adhering to the interests of any political party or organization. HGPI will continue to maintain political neutrality and independence from any organization in conducting its activities.
Top Global Health Policy Think Tanks 2020
Ranked Third in the World Among Global Health Policy Think Tanks
HGPI was ranked third among global health policy think tanks worldwide in University of Pennsylvania’s 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, published in January 2021. HGPI has been included in the ranking for twelve consecutive years, placing it among leading policy organizations.
“HGPI’s ranking is the result of its independence, the diversity of its funding sources, and its commitment to working globally by publishing all of its work in both English and Japanese. Encouraged by these results, we will double our efforts to continue to have a positive impact on society as a think tank specializing in health policy.” –HGPI Chairman Kiyoshi Kurokawa
“Especially during the pandemic, our work to advocate for citizens, patients, and healthcare workers is of the utmost importance. Now, more than ever, the world needs open and fair discussions on health policy. We will continue to foster such discussions, toward the creation of better policy ideas developed out of the combined knowledge of diverse stakeholders from the public and private sectors.” –HGPI CEO and Board Member Ryoji Noritake
AMR: Antimicrobial Resistance
AMR Alliance Japan
Established in November 2018 by academic societies working in infectious disease medicine, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device makers, AMR Alliance Japan is an independent platform for the promotion of multisector discussion on AMR countermeasures. The Alliance develops and disseminates policy recommendations to: (1) ensure that AMR countermeasures are in line with the current situation of patients and healthcare settings; (2) promote the national and international AMR agenda; and (3) advance Japan’s AMR policy.
2024.02.01
FY2024 AMR Alliance Japan Planning Meeting
AMR Alliance Japan held a meeting to discuss its FY2024 plans among Alliance members.
AMR Alliance Japan, as an independent platform for multisector discussion with the mission of contributing to the improvement of public health by promoting measures on AMR, will continue to work with Alliance members and partner organizations to deepen policy debate around AMR.
2024.03.05
UK-Japan Multistakeholder Meeting
The Future of AMR – Policy and Investment
his meeting was held with the overarching theme of the links between policy, investment, and science in AMR. Views of the United Kingdom (UK) and Japan were presented with topics that touched on Japan’s policy and future plans for tackling AMR and how to get the most out of the UN high-level meeting this year. Following the presentations, panelists discussed 1) The role of policymakers in tackling AMR and developing antimicrobials and 2) How best to invest for the future of AMR. Participants of the meeting included policymakers, academic societies, clinicians, industry, and civil society experts from Japan and the UK.
NCDs: Non-Communicable Diseases
NCD Alliance Japan
NCD Alliance Japan is a collaborative platform for civil society organizations in the NCD community steered by the Health and Global Policy Institute. Its aim is to further promote comprehensive, cross-cutting NCD policies. Since 2013, NCD Alliance Japan has served as Japan’s point-of-contact for the NCD Alliance, which brings together over 2,000 civil society organizations and academic institutions in more than 170 countries. NCD Alliance Japan was officially recognized as a full member of the NCD Alliance in January 2019.
Obesity Control Promotion Project
2024.02.02
Non-partisan Diet Member Briefing – 30-minute Health Policy Update
Issues Surrounding and Necessary Measures Against Obesity Disease
Dr. Koutaro Yokote (President, Japan Society for the Study of Obesity; Director General, Chiba University Hospital) gave a lecture on general obesity and obesity requiring medical intervention during a pandemic, explaining current initiatives and future steps.
Kidney Disease Control Promotion Project
2024.02.14
Policy Recommendations & Good Practices
Establishing Kidney Disease Control Measures with Patient, Citizen, and Community Engagement and Collaboration
HGPI Project for the Kidney Disease Control Promotion has presented policy recommendations and a collection of good practices entitled “Kidney Disease Control Promotion Project 2023 ‘Establishing Kidney Disease Control Measures with Patient, Citizen, and Community Engagement and Collaboration’ Policy Recommendations, a Collection of Good Practices for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and Control Measures by Local Governments” in preparation for World Kidney Day 2024 (March 14).
■Recommendations
- Recommendation 1: In order to detect more individuals with suspected CKD at an early stage, the CKD screening in health checkups and CKD control by insurers should be further strengthened while also aiming to improve the health checkup uptake rate.
- Recommendation 2: To ensure that individuals with suspected CKD are referred to medical institutions for consultation and treatment based on the results of health checkups, the methods of recommending consultation and the explanation of results should be improved. Awareness of CKD should be raised through public awareness-raising activities.
- Recommendation 3: To ensure that CKD patients who visit a medical institution after a health checkup are continuously provided with appropriate medical intervention and guidance to improve their diet and lifestyle accordingly, it is important to raise awareness of the disease among family doctors, disseminate medical guidelines and referral criteria, introduce evaluations according to the CKD stage, and provide incentives for treatment. In addition, measures to eliminate the shortage and maldistribution of nephrologists should be taken.
- Recommendation 4: At core hospitals and base medical institutions, comprehensive treatment should be realized through collaboration among nephrologists, diabetologists, and specialists in other medical departments. A system for early detection of CKD in patients receiving treatment at other medical departments should also be considered.
- Recommendation 5: In order to promote CKD control in local communities, comprehensive lifestyle-related disease control from a cross-disease perspective should be promoted by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, public health nurses, and other professionals. A multidisciplinary cooperation system including local governments and the patient community should be established.
- Recommendation 6: The roles of prefectures and municipalities should be clarified, and each municipality should promote CKD control alongside measures against other lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes. A PDCA (Plan Do Check Action) cycle of CKD measures should be implemented.
Kidney Disease – Obesity – Cardiovascular Disease
2024.03.15
NCDs-related Cross-project Meeting
The 2nd Meeting on Non-Communicable Disease in Hokkaido and Tohoku
HGPI’s Kidney Disease Control Promotion Project, Obesity Control Promotion Project, and Cardiovascular Disease Control Promotion Project jointly held the “2nd meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Hokkaido and Tohoku”. This meeting aimed at enhancing the understanding of NCDs, which require intervention and management across sectors in the community and workplaces. The meeting also discussed how NCDs measures should be tailored to local conditions and characteristics, as well as to promote the horizontal development of policies across the community. The event provides the opportunity to foster a network among local governments for further promotion of NCDs policy in the region.
The discussion points of the group discussion
- Issue 1: What are more effective methods and approaches to recommend health checkups to the target population, given the limitations of the current administrative recommendation for health checkups?
- Issue 2: What should be the role of prefectures, municipalities, and public health centers, and how should cross-disease collaboration within each municipality be organized?
- Issue 3: How can obesity, which is expected to be newly addressed, be integrated into regional measures against cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and diabetes?
Chronic Pain Measures Project
2024.03.29
Policy Recommendations
Establishing an integrated care system for pain from the perspectives of people with lived experience
HGPI Chronic Pain Project sees chronic pain as an important policy issue which affects a wide range of patients and citizens and is working to strengthen countermeasures against it. Based on suggestions obtained from the project’s activities to date, we have compiled a policy recommendations.
Recommendations
An integrated care system for pain should be established, where health and social care are integrated to meet specific needs of individuals suffering from diverse pain conditions
5 perspectives required to establish a comprehensive care system for pain
- Ensuring access to a wide range of evidence-based care options within the communities
- Expanding multidisciplinary pain centers to address complex chronic pain
- Strengthening care navigation in primary care led by familty doctors to promote early and appropriate interventions to multifactorial
- Promoting pain education by establishing pain medicine as one of the medical specialties and by strengthening education for a wide range of health and welfare professionals
- Strengthening the collaboration of diverse multi-stakeholders to promote pain policies
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Support Project
2024.03.31
Publication Report
Guidance on Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in Health Policymaking: Necessary Initiatives and Good Examples from the Public and Government
In FY2021, HGPI formed an advisory board of experts with experience serving as patient and citizen committee members and other specialists in this area for discussions on promoting PPI in health policy. Based on the findings of those efforts and with cooperation from broad stakeholders including patients and citizens, administrative officials, and academics, who participated in our interviews and other activities, we compiled the guidance.
FY2023 Advisory Board Members (Titles omitted; in Japanese alphabetical order by last name, absent members included)
Kyoko Ama (Representative, Children and Healthcare Project; Fellow, HGPI)
Shinsuke Amano (Chair, The Japan Federation of Cancer Patient Groups; CEO, Group Nexus Japan)
Etsuko Aruga (Professor, Department of Palliative Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine)
Naomi Sakurai (President, Cancer Solutions Co., Ltd)
Takeshi Shukunobe (President and CEO, PPeCC)
Kazuyuki Suzuki (Senior Lead, Patient Engagement Group, Strategy & Execution, Novartis Pharma K.K.)
Yasuhiro Sensho (CEO, SENSHO-GUMI, Co., Ltd.; Former Director-General, MHLW)
Teppei Maeda (Lawyer, Maeda & Unosawa Law Offices; Representative, Medical Basic Act Community)
Kaori Muto (Professor, Department of Public Policy Studies, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo)
Akira Morita (Representative Director, Next Generation Fundamental Policy Research Institute (NFI))
Ikuko Yamaguchi (Chief Director, Consumer Organization for Medicine and Law (COML))
Risa Yamazaki (Public Affairs Group, External Affairs Department, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., LTD.)
Planetary Health
2024.01.19
Online Seminar
Towards a Healthier Planet: Integrated Strategies for Climate Change Mitigation/Adaptation and Public Health in National Health Systems
We invited two guest speakers committed to national climate action strategies in the United Kingdom and France to introduce and discuss their pioneering efforts and national strategies for mitigation and adaptation to climate change in public health, respectively.
The Advisory Board Meeting
Planetary Health: Necessary Steps for a Sustainable Environment
Aiming to advance discussions on planetary health and to contribute to better health for the Earth and its people, HGPI formed an advisory board and launched its Planetary Health Project in FY2022. Together with our newest advisory board members who joined in FY2023, opinion leaders and relevant parties in the field of planetary health from industry, government, academia, and civil society will share best practices and ideas from each stakeholder group, identify issues, and recommend solutions.
Advisory board members (titles omitted; in Japanese syllabary order)
Satoru Arima (DAIICHI SANKYO HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.)
Saori Kashima (Director, Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University)
Masahiro Kaminota (Director-General, Environmental Health Department, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of the Environment)
Taiko Kudo (Chief Engineer, Environment and Energy Division, Japan Weather Association)
Naoki Kondo (Professor and Chair, Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University)
So Sugawara (Representative Director, Green innovation)
Yasuhiko Suzuki (Director, International Joint Research Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University; Distinguished Professor, Hokkaido University)
Yukari Nakano (Executive Officer, Japanese Nursing Association)
Keiko Nakamura (Professor, Department of Global Health Entrepreneurship, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences (Medicine), Tokyo Medical and Dental University)
Keisuke Nansai (Head, Material Cycles Division of National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES))
Masahiro Hashizume (Professor, Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)
Makoto Haraguchi (Fellow, MS&AD InterRisk Research & Consulting, Inc. / TNFD dedicated SVP, MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.)
Eiji Hinoshita (Assistant Minister for Global Health and Welfare, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
Kenji Fuma (Specially Appointed Professor, Co-Creative Organization for Green Society, Shinshu University / CEO, Neural, Inc.)
Hidekazu Hosokawa (Executive Director, Japan Medical Association)
Yusuke Matsuo (Director, Business Task Force, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies)
Yutaka Mitsutake (Director, Japan Sustainability, AstraZeneca K.K.)
Ryohei Yamagata (Sustainability Manager, Medical Policy and External Affairs Division, Novo Nordisk Pharma K.K.)
Hiroya Yamano (Director, Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies)
Naoko Yamamoto (Professor, International University of Health and Welfare / Director, Global Medical Cooperation Center)
Chiho Watanabe (Dean, Interfaculty Initiative in Planetary Health; Professor, School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University)
Japan Association for Global Health, Students Section (jagh-s)
Asian Medical Students’ Association Japan (AMSA Japan)
2024.01.29
The Fourth Advisory Board Meeting in FY2023
Challenges facing Japan include frequent natural disasters and a demographic transition resulting from birthrate decline and population aging. Deepening discussions and implementing future solutions will require multi-stakeholder efforts to identify unique challenges facing Japan and to build understanding toward them. At this meeting, we reported on the topics conducted by the secretariat between the 3rd and 4th meetings, and exchanged opinions on the initiatives for the next fiscal year.
2024.02.16
Planetary Health Expert Meeting
Aiming for Sustainable Healthcare: Learning from the Impact of Environmental Pollution and Medical Waste During the Pandemic
At this meeting, multi-stakeholder discussions were held, focusing in particular on the broader impacts of medical waste and environmental pollution, based on the perspective of planetary health, which aims to protect the health of the planet and people. Taking into account, among other things, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the discussions aimed to explore the potential changes that the healthcare system could undergo in the future.
2024.03.19-21
The Connecting Climate Minds Global Event
The Connecting Climate Minds Global Event was held in Barbados. This event is the culmination of the efforts of over 800 participants from more than 80 countries, who have worked together over the past year on the impact of climate change on mental health. Mr. Joji Sugawara, Vice President at HGPI, and Ms. Niaya Harper Igarashi, Program Specialist, attended in-person and virtually to present highlights on Japan as a Regional Co-Convenor (RCC) for the Eastern and South-Eastern region.
2024.03.23
Joins
Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA)
HGPI officially joined the GCHA. The Alliance was launched following the inaugural of the first Climate and Health Summit, which took place in 2011 during the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Doha Declaration on Climate, Health, and Wellbeing was drafted ahead of COP18, and the Declaration has been adopted as the principle underpinning the GCHA’s work. When applying to join the GCHA, organizations declare their support for the principles articulated in the Declaration.
Global Health
2024.02.22
Appointed as the Executive Member on the NGO Side
Open Regular Dialogues of MOFA/NGO on GII/IDI
HGPI is pleased to announce that from January 2024, HGPI will be one of the executive members of the Japan CSO Network for Global Health, a network representing the NGO side in the “Open Regular Dialogues of MOFA/NGO on GII/IDI”, a framework for regular official dialogue between NGOs/NPOs involved in global health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan. As a bridge between government agencies and NGOs/NPOs, our Institute will continue to provide a platform for the exchange of information and opinions, and contribute to strengthening cooperation in solving global health and medical care issues.
Dementia
2024.01.22
Policy Recommendations
Dementia Prevention Initiatives for Achieving a Dementia-Friendly and Inclusive Society
To mark the enactment of the Dementia Basic Act, HGPI arranged opportunities to discuss and examine the nature of dementia prevention. In December 2023, we held multi-stakeholder discussions at a public symposium titled, “Dementia Risk Reduction: How Society Should Face the Individualization of Risk.” Working independently, we then formulated policy recommendations based on those discussions and on other opinion exchanges with experts and representatives of civil society.
Recommendation 1: Envision a broader meaning for “policy beneficiaries” than the people covered by general dementia policies and endeavor to provide information.
Recommendation 2: Make preparations in the social environment utilizing the voices and experiences of people living with dementia, their families, and related parties.
Recommendation 3: Promote industry-government-academia collaboration from the development stage to ensure quality.
Recommendation 4: Encourage private sector participation by implementing frameworks for evaluation and payment that elevate quality.
Recommendation 5: Adopt practices for risk reduction that lead to early detection, diagnosis, and intervention and coordinate with measures for other chronic diseases.
Women’s Health
2024.01.15
Advisory Board Meeting
Promotion of Menopausal Women’s Wealth as a Social Issue to be Considered by Industry, Government, Academia, and the Private Sector
At this Advisory Board meeting, opinion leaders from industry, government, academia, and the private sector in the field gathered to discuss issues and solutions in three areas (the healthcare delivery system, medical human resources, and occupational health) based on HGPI’s prior research, company-specific initiatives, and interviews with working female professionals.
Advisory board members (title omitted; in Japanese syllabary order)
Mariko Ogawa (Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Ichikawa General Hospital Tokyo Dental College)
Megumi Kawashima (CEO / Occupational health physician, Keep Health, Inc.)
Kazue Kawamoto (Health Support Office, Human Resources Development Center, Lion Corporation)
Shigeyo Sasaki (Business Incubation Office, Strategy Management Department, Business Development Center, Lion Corporation)
Nobuharu Shirakoma (Senior Manager, Wellness Promotion Department, Japan Airlines Co, Ltd.)
Masakazu Terauchi (Professor, Chair of the Department of Women’s Health, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU))
Mayumi Nitta (Professor, Maternal Nursing/ Midwifery, Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing)
Yoshie Miwa (Chairman, Women’s Healthcare Awarenes & Menopause Network Society)
Akihiko Wakatsuki (Former President, The Japan Society for Menopause and Women’s Health, Senior Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aichi Medical University)Observer
Mitsuha Aoyagi (Chief, Economic and Social Policy Office, List of Officials of Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
Saki Muro (Deputy Director, Healthcare Industries Division, Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
Survey on Healthcare in Japan
2024.01.11
Research Report
The 2023 Public Opinion Survey on Satisfaction in Healthcare in Japan and Healthcare Applications of Generative AI
The public opinion survey examined the satisfaction with healthcare in Japan, alongside the usage and awareness of issues regarding the application of the rapidly advancing generative AI in healthcare.
Healthcare DX
2024.02.22
Healthcare DX Forum
Shaping Future Healthcare With Citizen Co-creation: Achieving Healthcare Innovation Through Digital Transformation
While broadening a deeper understanding toward the basic concepts of efforts from the Government’s Headquarters for Medical DX Promotion and examining its specific initiatives and future plans, this forum featured a multi-stakeholder discussion that identified concrete issues and next steps in response to expectations and concerns of patients, related parties, and citizens for healthcare DX that have been gathered over the course of HGPI activities.
Other Activities
2024.01.31
The 53rd Special Breakfast Meeting
Shaping Global Health Rules from the Perspective of Japan’s chief negotiator: A Look into “pandemic accord”
For the 53rd Special Breakfast Meeting, we hosted Mr. Takeshi Akahori (Ambassador, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan). His lecture focused on shaping Global Health Rules from the Perspective of Japan’s chief negotiator: A Look into “pandemic accord”.
2024.02.08
The First Meeting of the “Young Professionals Roundtable for Public-Private Opinion Exchange on Social Security and Healthcare Policy,” a Joint Initiative from the Public and Private Sector Co Creation Hub, HGPI and SENSHO-GUMI
Navigating the cultural and working practice differences between the public and private sectors and exploring the better way to work together: Stories from Professionals with Both Experiences
The participants exchanged opinions on better public-private exchanges and public-private dialogues, deepening the discussions on realizing better healthcare policies.
HGPI Seminar
2024.01.16
HGPI Special Seminar
HGPI Celebrates its 20th Anniversary: Reflecting on the HGPI’s Journey -from the Past to the Future-
HGPI celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2024. For this milestone year, we hosted a special dialogue seminar to reflect on the HGPI’s journey from its establishment to the present and discussed prospects for the future.
- Since its establishment in 2004, HGPI has pursued its mission of “achieving citizen-centered health policy,” and has contributed to policy implementation through agenda setting, shaping, and delivery.
- HGPI activities in recent years can be linked to concrete policies in various areas, starting with dementia, women’s health, and infectious disease control (particularly, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and immunization and vaccination).
- HGPI should maintain a stance that enables it to accurately grasp the policy issues and needs of society and catalyze discussions that meet the demands of today.
2024.03.06
The 123rd HGPI Seminar
The Current Situation and Future Prospects for Epilepsy in Japan and Around the World
We hosted Professor Kensuke Kawai, President of the Japan Epilepsy Society, who discussed current circumstances surrounding epilepsy in Japan and overseas, as well as past developments in and future prospects for epilepsy policy.
- Epilepsy is among the most common neurological disorders, but it is difficult to diagnose. Epilepsy treatments are determined according to how the condition is classified.
- Social stigma caused by a history of prejudice and discrimination toward epilepsy has resulted in a “treatment gap” in which people are not connected to treatments despite their availability.
- Patients, their families, healthcare providers, and the government are collaborating in all aspects of epilepsy care, including raising awareness toward epilepsy, improving access to care, and elevating care quality.
- On the international level, the World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted a resolution on epilepsy. Japan is making progress on domestic epilepsy treatment policies, but they must be made even more vigorous in the future.
Health Policy Academy
The 12th session of Health Policy Academy (HPA).
2024.01.11
Lecture 6
New Forms of Public Involvement in Health Policy
Ms. Kyoko Ama (Fellow, HGPI) provided a lecture entitled ” New forms of Public Involvement in health policy.” The lecture focused on the overview of her public involvement activity in the healthcare and impact of her activities to health policy. In the second of the lecture, Ms. Orie Yamashita (Associate, HGPI) gave a lecture focused on spreading of the patient and public involvement.
2024.02.15
Lecture 7
Group Presentation Session and Feedback
Each group gave a presentation on the process necessary for policy formation through the consideration of proposals based on their own experiences and past learning on the theme of “Our Ideas for Future Health Policy. Mr. Kohei Onozaki (Board Member, HGPI) and Mr. Shunichiro Kurita (Senior Manager, HGPI) joined the discussion on each presentation. At the end of the session, Mr. Onozaki and Mr. Kurita gave their comments.
Public Comment Submission
2024.02.12
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
Call for Peer Review of the Draft Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health
2024.03.01
General Policy Division of the Minister’s Secretariat within the Ministry of the Environment
The Basic Policy for Environmental Conservation Activities, Encouragement of Willingness for Environmental Conservation, Environmental Education, and Promotion of Collaborative Efforts
HGPI Policy Column
Based on firsthand expertise and knowledge gained from each project, HGPI staff members publish columns on the latest policy topics. These columns provide timely information and include new policy recommendations.
No.40－From the Planetary Health Project
Part 7: Introduction of SMI’s Recommendations for Accelerating Net Zero Health System Delivery
In this column, the seventh in the series, we present the report released in November 2022 by the Health Systems Task Force of the Sustainable Market Initiative (SMI), “Accelerating the Delivery of a Net Zero Health System -An Overview of Practical Recommendations and Actions to Support People’s Health, a Healthy Planet and Society-“. SMI is a sustainability initiative created by Prince Charles (now King Charles III) and launched at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF: World Economic Forum) in Davos in 2020. SMI is an initiative to promote sustainability and focuses on sustainability and environmental responsibility. It is engaged in a variety of initiatives to restructure and realign the marketplace to promote more environmentally responsible business practices.
No.41－From the Mental Health Project
Mental Health Policy in Japan – History and Future Policy Topics (Part 1 of HGPI Activities for Mental Health and Domestic Policy History)
This column will be our first in a two-part series on mental health policy. The number of people diagnosed with mental disorders is increasing every year. According to the Patient Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), in 2017, a total of 4,193,000 people were being treated for mental health in Japan (3,891,000 outpatients and 302,000 inpatients). While the number of hospitalized people has gradually decreased over the past fifteen years, the number of people receiving outpatient care has been on an upward trend as has the total number of people receiving mental health care. (Despite a change in tabulation method, this trend was also visible in the 2020 Patient Survey findings.) Depending on the framing, policies related to mental health use a variety of terms such as “psychiatric disease,” “mental disability,” or “mental health.” Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) uses the term “mental health policy” to encompass all of these.
Lectures
2024.02.18
FY2023 Nagasaki Prefecture Dementia Awareness Seminar, “Approval of the Basic Act for Dementia, Toward Achieving an Inclusive Society”
Senior Manager Mr. Shunichiro Kurita gave a lecture at the first part of the seminar.
2024.02.29
The Forefront of Sustainability Law – Emerging Issues and New Developments
Vice President Mr. Joji Sugawara participated in a session titled “Planetary Health: A New Perspective on Sustainability Challenges Through Health Impacts” at an event organized by Mori Hamada & Matsumoto.
2024.03.04-05
Joint Japan/ UK Science and Policy Workshop
Manager Ms. Yui Kohno presented at the Joint Japan/ UK Science and Policy Workshop. The workshop was hosted by the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) and Sir Howard Dalton Centre (HDC), and the University of Warwick.
2024.03.26
The World Dementia Council “WDC Summit 2024”
CEO and Board Member Mr. Ryoji Noritake delivered a presentation at the summit for international leaders in the dementia field at the World Dementia Council (WDC) at the Francis Crick Institute in London.
Media Coverage
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Journal Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies |
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The Nikkei Personal Opinion and Insight |
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The Asahi Shimbun Newspaper |
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News Medical World Weekly |
Advocacy Activities to Encourage the Adoption of the Recommendations in Our Policy Proposals
HGPI composes and publishes reports and policy proposals for each of its projects. HGPI also makes efforts to encourage the implementation of the recommendations contained in those publications through advocacy activities targeting the government and Diet. Those efforts include providing explanations on the content of each report and proposal to representatives from relevant departments with the local and national government or to Diet members and local assembly members on an individual basis. In addition to cooperating closely with parties relevant to each project from the local and national government, HGPI also functions as a hub that creates links within the community of experts in each field when creating content for Diet member study sessions or when drafting bills. We engage in these cooperative efforts with a shared intent of encouraging the implementation of concrete policies based on our recommendations. In the past, recommendations included in HGPI’s reports and policy proposals have been reflected in policies after having been cited in presentations made by various groups within the government, including nonpartisan Diet member groups and project teams, or in proposals composed by those groups.
Providing Professional Expertise
Serving on Government Committees and Global Organizations
Senior members of HGPI have held various titles on government committees and in global health societies. Some of those titles are listed below.
- Kiyoshi Kurokawa: Healthcare Policy Advisor, Cabinet Secretariat; Chairman, Council on the Future of Tokyo in a Super-Aged Society; Chairman, Cabinet Office’s AI Advisory Board, Special Advisors to the Cabinet, Chairperson, Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Committee
- Ryoji Noritake: Member, World Dementia Council; Member, Dementia Innovation Alliance Public and Private Sector Working Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
- Kohei Onozaki: Health Policy Advisor, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; Social Security Team, Administrative Reform Conference, Cabinet Secretariat
- Yusuke Tsugawa: Council Member, Advisory Council on Large-scale Demonstration Projects for Prevention and Health Promotion, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Member, Study Group on the Review of Guidelines for the Appropriate Implementation of Online Medical Care, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
- Ryozo Nagai: Member, Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare Social Security Council; Provisional Member, Council for Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Member, Cabinet Office’s AI Advisory Board
- Satoko Hotta: Member, Caregiver Fee Subcommittee and Welfare Division, Social Security Council, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; Expert Committee Member, Policy Evaluation Council, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
- Shinsuke Muto：Information Policy Advisor, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
